If there’s anyone who can relate to Sean Payton about now – the Denver Broncos coach is navigating a sudden crisis with quarterback Bo Nix knocked out of the AFC championship game with a season-ending fractured bone in his right ankle – it is Bill Parcells.

The Hall of Fame coach, aka ‘The Tuna,’ guided the New York Giants to a Super Bowl 25 crown with backup quarterback Jeff Hostetler replacing Phil Simms for the stretch run after Simms, ironically, went down with a broken right foot in Week 15 of the 1990 season.

Now, 35 years later, Payton’s team is one victory from advancing to Super Bowl 60, needing backup Jarrett Stidham to, well, turn into a modern-day Hostetler.

That Parcells is Payton’s wise mentor, adds another layer to the plot.

‘I’ve spoken with him. He’s ready to go,’ Parcells told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday.

Parcells knows all too well how Payton, as New Orleans Saints coach, handled the adversity of losing Drew Brees for five games in 2019 with a torn ligament in his right thumb. Enter Teddy Bridgewater. With Payton pushing the buttons, the Saints went 5-0 without the centerpiece of one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses.

That experience for Payton won’t hurt now.

‘It speaks for itself,’ Parcells grumbled. ‘He’s already been through it. He went through it with Brees. So, he’s done it. He knows what he’s doing.’

It was a given that Payton tapped the Tuna this week, with the New England Patriots coming to Empower Field for the showdown on Sunday. Payton was Parcells’ assistant head coach for three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, beginning in 2003, before landing his first head coaching job with the Saints. They have remained close over the years, and Payton is hardly shy in expressing his reverence for Parcells, 84, vouching for the influence he has had on his coaching philosophy and style.

And their bond is wrapped in enormous success. Payton ranks 11th on the all-time list for NFL coaching victories (194, including postseason) passing his mentor earlier this season. Parcells is 16th with 183 wins and is one of 14 coaches to win multiple Super Bowls.

In addition to football strategy, the Tuna’s psychological methods surely rubbed off on the Broncos coach. Parcells, for example, was one who would set out mousetraps in the locker room to remind players not to fall into a trap. Payton’s been known to use gas cans as a prop, the message being that they had better not run out of gas.

And Lord knows, like Parcells, Payton, 62, can set a tone with crankiness.

There’s even an inspirational Parcells quote displayed in the hallway of the team’s headquarters, as noted by The Denver Post, that reads: Don’t ever let good enough be good enough.

What a great resource to tap into while in the throes of crisis. If I’m Payton, I’m asking my mentor to take me back to messaging he had for his Giants squad – which included the likes of Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, Joe Morris and Mark Bavaro – when Simms suffered his season-ending injury.

If I’m not Payton, I’m asking, too.

‘This is literally what I did: I said, ‘Look, we’re not going to lose or not have a chance to play for a championship because of Jeff Hostetler,” Parcells said. ”It’s going to be one of you other guys.’

‘I used a different word for ‘other guys,’ by the way. It begins with mother, okay? I said, ‘It will be one of you ‘other-blanks’ that screws up something that keeps us out. But he won’t do it. He’ll be ready to go.”

Fast-forward to the present and the gist of those team-oriented, tough-love words from Parcells a generation ago might resonate with the cast surrounding Stidham. In other words, dropped passes, missed blocks, blown coverages and needless penalties, for instance, would be no way to support the fill-in quarterback.

Then there’s a key difference. Hostetler, in his fifth season as Simms’ backup, had an opportunity to ramp up to the pressure-packed postseason. He started the final two regular-season games, and the Giants opened the playoffs with a rout. They won the NFC championship game at San Francisco against the 49ers and the Super Bowl against the Buffalo Bills by a combined total of three points.

Stidham, on the other hand, hasn’t thrown a pass in a real game since 2023. There is no ramp-up acclimation. He is immediately thrown into the fire with a Super Bowl berth at stake. A seventh-year pro, ‘Stiddy,’ as he’s called, was one of Payton’s first free agent signings when the coach arrived in 2023. While there’s undoubtedly a comfort level for Stidham in Payton’s system and vice versa, the minimal action equates to a huge unknown.

‘In fairness to what you’ve seen, which is very limited, he’s ready,’ said Payton, mindful that Stidham sparkled during the preseason and presumably on the practice field. ‘I feel like I have a (No.) 2 (quarterback) that’s capable of starting for a number of teams. I know he feels the same way. So, watch out. Just watch.’

For all Payton has done to establish a culture, revamp personnel and bring winning results during his three seasons, Nix’s injury suddenly poses a challenge that could reveal the level of completeness for this mix. The Broncos absorbed the $85 million salary cap hit for cutting Russell Wilson. They have assembled one of the NFL’s best defenses. They dethroned the Kansas City Chiefs as nine-time defending AFC West champs. They earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs and won the franchise’s first postseason game in a decade.

Now this. Nix underwent surgery on Tuesday.

Sure, he’s been clutch. Including Sunday, Nix led the Broncos to an NFL-high eight victories this season after trailing in the fourth quarter. Then again, it’s never about just one player and Payton is one of the NFL’s winningest coaches for a reason. There are always adjustments, always fires to put out.

This week, the agenda for Payton and staff, including coordinator Joe Lombardi, is to craft the best plan possible that is tailored to Stidham. That’s not to be confused with reinventing the wheel.

‘It’s almost business as usual,’ Parcells said. ‘Maybe you might have something in there that you’ve seen him do well in practice, on a couple of particular routes that he likes maybe better than (Nix) did. It’s just things like that. You’ve got to talk to the player, too. Find out what he’s confident about, what he feels like. So, you spend a little time doing that prior to making your game plan.’

Parcells’ pupil will surely check those boxes. And then some. Payton will also bring the mindset that the mission is hardly impossible.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com. Follow him on X: @JarrettBell

After a protracted staring contest, the New York Yankees and Cody Bellinger have finally reunited.

Bellinger and the Yankees agreed to terms on a five-year, $162.5 million deal, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal is not yet finalized.

The agreement comes after an impasse on the length of contract: Bellinger was aiming for a seven-year commitment, but the Yankees hoped to stick to a five-year deal for the 30-year-old outfielder/first baseman. After potential landing spots were largely short-circuited by the signings of Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette last week, Bellinger met the Yankees’ ask for length of contract, while ensuring a $32.5 million annual salary – highest in Bellinger’s career.

Bellinger has experienced a career resurgence after injury-plagued 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since then, Bellinger thrived with both the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees, smacking 73 homers and posting a cumulative 12.1 WAR over the last three campaigns.

Here’s everything to know about Bellinger’s new deal.

Cody Bellinger contract details

Bellinger agreed to a five-year, $162.5 million deal. The contract contains opt-out clauses after the second and third years, but they move back a year if the 2027 season is canceled due to a lockout. Bellinger receives a $20 million signing bonus and $32.5 million each of the first two seasons, guaranteeing him $85 million before his first opt-out.

Cody Bellinger 2025 stats

Bellinger experienced one of his best seasons in 2025, finishing 14th in AL MVP voting in his lone season with the New York Yankees. His 29 home runs mark the third-most he’s hit in a season, and his best mark since belting 47 in his MVP season in 2019.

Bellinger slashed .272/.334/.480 across 152 games with New York, accumulating 5.1 WAR in 2025, a stellar mark and his most since 2019. Bellinger also played a tremendous right field in pinstripes, racking up eight Defensive Runs Saved at the position in just 416 innings.

Bellinger has played in at least 130 games in each of the last four seasons, showing a durability after his stint with the Dodgers ended after both shoulder surgery and a lower-leg injury dampened his final two seasons.

Shea Ralph is going to go head-to-head with her college coach, Geno Auriemma.

Ralph — a former Big East Player of the Year, national champion, All-American and then assistant coach at UConn — has been the head coach at Vanderbilt for five years. Within the next few seasons, her Commodores will face off against the Huskies twice.

UConn and Vanderbilt announced a two-year deal for a home-and-home series in women’s basketball on Wednesday. The Commodores will visit Storrs, Connecticut, in the 2027-28 season, and then the Huskies will travel to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2028-29.

Ralph and Auriemma have never coached against each other. UConn is 6-2 all-time against Vanderbilt, with the last meeting coming in 2020 — a 64-51 win for the Huskies — when Stephanie White was the head coach of the Commodores.

This season, UConn and Vanderbilt are the lone remaining undefeated teams in the sport.

Led by stellar sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes, the Commodores are off to their best start in program history with a 19-0 record. It’s also the first time since the 2008-09 campaign that Vandy has beaten multiple top-10-ranked opponents in the same season. Vandy is also on pace to secure a top 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007.

The reigning national champs, UConn is also 19-0 after beating rival Notre Dame on Monday. The Huskies have been powered by sophomore forward Sarah Strong and senior guard Azzi Fudd. The 2027-28 matchup between the Huskies and Commodores would be the senior campaigns for Strong and Blakes, who split last season’s National Freshman of the Year awards — Blakes got the honor from the USBWA, while the WBCA recognized Strong.

For Ralph, the 2027-28 matchup will also be a homecoming of sorts. She was the Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four for the Huskies in 2000 when she guided them to a national championship, and then helped UConn win six more titles as an assistant coach from 2008 through 2021.

Ralph and Strong also share something in common: They are the last two players from North Carolina to be named the National High School Player of the Year — Ralph in 1996 and Strong in 2024 — and they both chose to sign with UConn.

This weekend, more than determining the matchup for Super Bowl 60 will be at stake.

So will prices for Super Bowl tickets —  potentially less expensive than usual, with the big game scheduled for Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

The Super Bowl ticket market is expected to be “soft’’ with the New England Patriots playing the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game and the Seattle Seahawks playing the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL Championship Game, said Scott Friedman, who monitors ticket sales and offers commentary on YouTube.

“Only Seahawks fans bring in a potential spike to the market,’’ Friedman told USA TODAY Sports.

Fans of the Patriots, Broncos and Rams aren’t expected to create the kind of ticket demand that drives up ticket prices, according to Friedman, who said he has been tracking Super Bowl tickets for the past decade.

Super Bowl ticket prices: Less expensive doesn’t mean cheap

This week, Super Bowl tickets were listed on StubHub for as low as $6,245 and listed on Vivid Seats for as low as $6,387.

Face value for tickets to Super Bowl 60 range from $950 to $8,500, according to Friedman, who provided USA TODAY Sports a screenshot of a seating chart with ticket prices. Friedman said he got the chart from an NFL team source who told him the chart came from the league.

Friedman requested the NFL team not be identified to protect his business relationship with the team.

The NFL did not respond USA TODAY Sports requests to confirm the face value of the tickets.

A similar chart for the 2025 Super Bowl shows the face value for tickets ranged from $950 to $7,500.

Purchase Super Bowl LX tickets with StubHub

Who controls the Super Bowl tickets?

Based on Levi’s Stadium’s seating capacity, about 68,000 tickets will be distributed for the game.

The NFL’s 32 teams get 75 percent of the tickets, according to Statista and published reports. The two Super Bowl teams each get 17 percent, the Super Bowl host team gets 5 percent and the remaining 29 teams each get 1.24 percent.

McCarthy, the NFL spokesman, told The Athletic in 2024 that the NFL teams hold a lottery among season-ticket holders and also hold back some tickets for their partners.

So, how do all of those tickets flood onto the secondary market where resellers like StubHub and Vivid Seats list them?

In July, ESPN reported that at least 100 NFL players face fines and possible suspension for allegedly selling their allotted tickets to the 2025 Super Bowl.

Each of the approximately 1,700 players on an active NFL roster has the opportunity to purchase two Super Bowl tickets from his team, according to the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement.

NFL coaches and executives have access to far more tickets, and every potential ticket recipient is a potential reseller.

On Location ticket sales

On Location, an official hospitality partner of the NFL, sells tickets as part of VIP game day experiences. This week, one package, which includes one game ticket, was priced at $7,100, with a chance to upgrade the game ticket to $17,000.

Another package, which includes one ticket, open bar and food, was priced at $17,750, with a chance to upgrade the game ticket to $35,000.

Three other packages, including one that offered 50-yard line seats, are listed as sold out.

Other options to buy Super Bowl tickets

Generally, the historical cost of the average Super Bowl ticket resale has ranged from $4,000 to $6,000, Ticketmaster reports on its website. But the current listings suggest the price could be far more expensive depending on the seats.

On Vivid Seats, ticket prices ranged from $6,387 to $41,444. A suite that seats between 16 and 22 people is listed for slightly more than $1 million.

On StubHub, ticket prices ranged from $6,245 to $63,099.

Last Minute-Super Bowl tickets: Down to the wire

Last-minute Super Bowl tickets will be available for purchase on Ticketmaster, ‘the Official Ticketing Partner of the NFL,’’ the company said in a statement on its website. “Tickets will remain available for sale up to 60 minutes after kickoff, and all tickets purchased through Ticketmaster are mobile and instantly delivered to your phone.’’

Most online resellers offer the same service.

American speedskaters Jordan Stolz and Erin Jackson’s Olympic journey’s both started in their respective happy places.

Stolz got his start on a frozen pond in his family’s backyard after being inspired by Apolo Ohno and Shani Davis’ performance at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, while Jackson’s need for speed traces back to racing up and down her family’s driveway in plastic skates attached to her shoes.

Now, Stolz, 21, and Jackson, 33, are in medal contention for the 2026 Milano Cortina Games, which begin Feb. 6. Stolz could become the first Olympic speedskater to win multiple medals at a single Winter Games in two decades. Jackson looks to defend her win in the 500m race at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, where she became the first Black woman to win an individual Winter Olympic gold medal.

‘My top goal would be to defend the gold medal in the 500 meter,’ Jackson told USA TODAY Sports.

Stolz added, ‘I would love to have the best races that I can possibly do. I think if I can do that, it should be a gold medal in there somewhere. And I think across the four events, I have a lot of chances.’

Stolz and Jackson spoke to USA TODAY Sports in December about preparation for the Winter Olympics through their partnership with Hershey’s “It’s Your Happy Place” campaign, which features U.S. Olympians and Paralympians, including ice hockey forward Hilary Knight, figure skater Jason Brown and para snowboarder Brenna Huckaby.

Questions and answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity. 

Question: We’re all dying to know what is your favorite Hershey’s product and will you be adding any to your suitcase for Milana Cortina?

Stolz: My favorite Hershey’s product is the hot fudge because my mom uses it on the cheesecakes. I think she makes one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever had. And I really like it. Hershey’s Kisses are good, too.

Jackson: Definitely adding a bunch (of Hershey’s products) to my suitcase. When I was younger, my go-to was always the Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme candy bar. Now I would say it’s between Reese’s Pieces and the Reese’s Cups. We were just talking about maybe bringing a bunch of bags of the Hershey’s Kisses and having those in my skate bag and handing them out at practice.

Q: Jordan, is it ever crazy to think that you started skating on a frozen pond in your family’s backyard and now you’re on the verge of your second Olympic games? Can you just speak to that whirlwind journey that you’ve been on?

Stolz: Yeah, I mean, it is kind of crazy how that all began, because if I wouldn’t have been watching the (Winter Olympics on) TV in 2010 and watching Apolo Ohno on the short track, I might not have ever actually started speed skating. So just that little moment just progressed into something huge and who knows if it would’ve ever happened if I wasn’t watching the Games. Hopefully, I can bring a little bit of inspiration to some other kids’ life. Maybe they can see my story about skating on the pond and they can do the exact same thing.

Q: Jordan, how are you feeling heading into Milano Cortina, and do you feel like you’re hitting your stride right as the Olympics are approaching?

Stolz: I’ve had some really good races. The season’s probably been one of the best I’ve ever had. And coming back after pneumonia last year before the World Championships, I’m just in a way better spot right now. The summer was great. I was super motivated. Now it’s just time to train at home leading up to Milan. And I think it’s going to be really good. 

Q: Erin, how did your passion for skating begin? Is it surreal to think that you’re about to make your third Olympic appearance less than a decade after transitioning to the ice full-time?

Jackson: I’ve been on skates as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories were having the little plastic skates that would attach over my shoes and then skating up and down my driveway in those. And as I got older, it morphed into being a rink rat, basically someone who hangs out at the open sessions at the local skating rink. From there, I progressed into being an inline speed skater. It’s the same thing I do now, expect it was on roller skates. This was back in Florida. Inline speed skating isn’t an Olympic sport, so a lot of the skaters transition over to ice. I made that transition a little later in life because I wanted to graduate college first. I’ve been skating my whole life.

Q: Erin, you’ve been candid about dealing with some injuries in the off season, including some herniated discs in your lower back. How are you feeling now and how has recovery been for you?

Jackson: Starting this summer, I started working a bit more closely with the USOPC and their National Medical Network. They’re able to help me get different forms of treatment and it’s been going really well. I’m really happy with the way that’s progressing. I haven’t put in as much training over the summer with all the time off from the different treatments I’ve been doing, but the training I’ve been doing, I’ve been really intentional with it and making sure to put in the time when I can. Training has been a lot less of high intensity and more of the really safe things. I bought an elliptical. I’ve been doing a lot of elliptical training and I’ve been doing some aqua jogging, so it’s definitely been different. But yeah, I just really pushing through despite the injuries and just training smarter. 

Q: How has the preparation been this time around, compared to your first Winter Olympics? Are you more relaxed knowing what to expect or are there still nerves?

Stolz: I would say I’m more relaxed knowing what to expect. I mean, I’m not too worried about outside interference. Before it was, I didn’t have that much experience. It was my first season actually traveling and then going to Beijing (in 2022), whereas locked down and stuff. And the eating situation wasn’t that great. And now I expect, because it’s in Italy, it’ll be good. I’ve had the last three years of traveling to multiple World Cups to prepare for this. I don’t think there’s too many outside factors that could prevent me from racing while it’s going to be up to me when I go to the starting line.

Jackson: It’s been fun going into the Olympics from three different parts of my life. In 2018, I was super new to the sport and I was just happy to be there. I didn’t have any expectations on my performance or anything. And then in 2022, going in ranked No. 1 in the world and coming home with a gold medal was just a surreal moment in itself. I kept thinking like, ‘Oh, someone pinched me. I’ll wake up from this.’ And then now coming in as the defending champion, it’s a whole different aspect. Each time it’s just been really amazing.

Q: What do you do to take a moment to relax and get your mind off a competition?

Stolz: I have some good people supporting me, like Hershey’s themselves. To get my mind off the competition, I’m just playing on the phone watching Reels. But yeah, it’s just something to numb your mind a bit because skating’s more of a sport where you don’t really know what could happen and there’s a lot of muscle memory involved in it, so there’s a little bit of pressure involved. But going into Milan, I think I have some good wins under my belt this season and I’m feeling good about it.

Q: When you are standing at the starting line ahead of a race, what is running through your head? Do you have any mantras or any rituals to help you lock in ahead of a race?

Stolz: Not necessarily. It’s more so focused on just executing the race properly, their turns and feeling good on the ice. Good technique, it’s more so you want to be really focused on that and on yourself, how you’re feeling. So I try not to have, obviously listening to music is good, but outside distractions, you don’t really want that. You just want to be really focused. And I feel like I’ve gotten better at that. And not being nervous. If you’re nervous, it kind of affects your race, kind of like how you’re feeling. Mentally can also play an impact on it. So you don’t want to be fired up and have a lot of caffeine in you, and then trip on the starting line or something. So you also want to be calm, but put a lot of power down into the ice.

Jackson: I’m a little bit different where I’m a bit more relaxed naturally going into an event. And in 2022, I had this really calm confidence where I went to the line and I was like, ‘All I have to do is skate the way that I’ve trained and I should come away with my dreams and my goals.’ So yeah, going in this time, I’ve got that same kind of relaxed attitude. I can be relaxed knowing that I’ll do the best that I can and hopefully that I’ll get me on the podium or I’ll go into it knowing that I haven’t done everything I can. And even in that moment, there’s nothing I can do in that situation to kind of change where I am. So yeah, either way I’m going to go into it really calm and relaxed and just super confident. 

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• Arizona is the top team in the country, but there are plenty talented teams capable of winning the national championship.
• The freshman class has been shining with stars with Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson leading the group.
• Every Power conference has its own storyline, from the dominance in the Big Ten and Big 12, the ACC’s revival and the mystery of the SEC.

A college football national champion has been crowned, which means it’s time to turn the spotlight on college basketball.

The men’s season is in full swing as conference play is underway, and there has been plenty to discuss — from sensational freshmen, national title favorites and disappointments. The season is more than halfway done, and Selection Sunday is just 54 days away before one of the most exciting months in sports tips off.

So what’s happened in the first two months, and what should be paid attention to as we approach the NCAA tournament? Here are the top storylines in college hoops:

Who is the best college basketball team so far?

Arizona sits atop the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll with a perfect 18-0 start.

The Wildcats have running through every opponents ever since the season opening win over defending champion Florida, with a blend of young (Koa Peat and Brayden Burries) and experience (Jaden Bradley and Motiejus Krivas) paving the way. They average 90 points a game, win by an average margin of 21 points and have done it against talented teams with a 7-0 Quad 1 record.

Arizona has been a regular-season power under Tommy Lloyd, but he may finally have the right recipe to break the long Final Four drought in Tucson.

Plenty of national championship contenders exist

While Arizona is at the top, other teams lurking in the water. It sounds odd, but there’s parity — it’s just at the top level, as you can easily make the case for several teams to win it all.

Michigan, Connecticut, Purdue, Duke have proven to be formidable teams that are on a straight path to March. You also can’t forget Houston, Gonzaga, Iowa State and Nebraska (more on the Cornhuskers soon). It’s making for a very compelling race for the top seeds in the bracket.

Last season was the second time and first since 2008 with all four No. 1 seeds making the Final Four. There’s a solid chance that could happen again in 2006.

Can Florida repeat?

What’s harder than winning a national championship? Doing it again, and Florida is learning how challenging it is to repeat.

The Gators lost so much from last season’s title team, but Todd Golden restocked it to give optimism they could contend. It was a rough beginning with a season opening loss to Arizona and a 5-4 start, falling to marquee opponents in close contests. However, Florida has found a rhythm since then, winning eight of its past nine with some notable ranked wins during the stretch. While it has five losses, they’ve all been by at least six points.

It feels like Florida has mostly been written off from defending its crown, but don’t count out the Gators just yet. They have found an identity and can be a top-four seed in a bracket.

Historic runs for Nebraska, BYU

Two programs are chasing unprecedented highs, one expected and one out of nowhere.

Let’s start with Brigham Young, which brought in talented freshman AJ Dybantsa to take the Cougars to the next level after reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011. BYU is on track, eyeing those signature wins that will solidify what could lead to their first Final Four in program history.

Fantastic freshmen

This may be the best freshmen class in some time, with the new kids on the block taking over and having NBA teams drooling of them turning pro.

Dybantsa has not disappointed from BYU, showcasing No. 1 pick potential with 22.5 points per game. Duke’s Cameron Boozer is a certified bucket-getter for the Blue Devils, and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson has commanded the floor, even though injuries have limited him. An emerging star has been North Carolina big man Caleb Wilson.

You also can’t forget Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. and Houston guard Kingston Fleming, Peat and Burries at Arizona, as well as several other talented freshmen. They’ll all be fun to watch in the tournament and could make up most of the lottery picks in the 2026 NBA draft.

Braden Smith chases assist record

Preseason national player of the year favorite Braden Smith is still in great position to win the award, with the Purdue guard closing in on the all-time assists record while leading a Boilermakers team still chasing that first national title.

Smith leads the country with 9.4 assists per game, and with 927 career dimes, is 149 more away from Bobby Hurley’s record of 1,076. With that average, Smith can break the 36-year-old record by the time the NCAA tournament begins, cementing himself among the best point guards to play the game. The Boilermakers are hoping there are more opportunities for him to go up the leaderboard deep in March.

Big 12, Big Ten powers

The toughest conference is really a tie between the Big 12 and Big Ten, making it a gauntlet for any team to survive. Combined the conferences make up 10 of the top 13 spots in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, with five each.

Both leagues dominated the nonconference schedules, winning more than 80% of such contests and the only two to have a winning percentage over 50% against other Power conference teams. It’s going to be entertaining to watch these conference races and who ends up at the top, and there’s a great chance the national champion emerges from the Big 12 or Big Ten.

ACC is back

After sending just four teams to the NCAA tournament last season, the ACC has responded emphatically and looks like it can prove its worth against other Power conferences.

It’s no surprise Duke, North Carolina and Louisville have done well, but there’s been some surprises like Virginia, surging under Ryan Odom, and Clemson not skipping a beat. There’s also been NCAA tournament-worthy starts from Miami, NC State and SMU, with squads like Virginia Tech, Stanford and California lurking. It’s been a fun league to watch again. There’s a good chance the ACC can double its amount of bids in March, and not just have Duke be the only one advancing.

Who steps up in SEC?

The SEC was the class of college basketball last season with a record 14 teams in March Madness, two of whom made the Final Four. The conference isn’t as strong as it was, but it remains as open of a race to who can emerge.

There’s no real power team, with Vanderbilt leaking after its 16-0 start. Florida has been mentioned, and other squads in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Texas A&M have shown potential but aren’t just complete. Kentucky and Tennessee have mostly disappointed and are hard to trust. The SEC will likely send at least eight teams, but you can’t confidently say who those eight will be and if they will be able to replicate any success.

Transfer portal frustration

A major talking point has been the new players coming to college basketball, and whether they should be allowed to play. There’s been some controversy about allowing former professional basketball players to play college basketball, whether they were in the G League or actual NBA draft picks.

They’ve been ruled eligible to play, drawing the ire of the most prominent coaches in the country from Tom Izzo to John Calipari as the NCAA watches. Will the trend continue, or will there be changes made after so much disapproval?